The number of foreign travelers visiting South Korea has surged by around 400% in January and February 2023 compared to the same period last year, thanks to the reopening of borders and the lifting of compulsory face mask regulations in public places, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The tourism industry in South Korea was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with visitor numbers dropping by 94.4% from 17.5 million in 2019 to 967,000 in 2020. Meanwhile, the domestic camping and leisure sectors saw strong growth during the pandemic, with the camping market hitting KRW6.3tn ($4.7bn) in 2022, up 8.2% from the previous year’s KRW5.8tn. The largest increase in foreign visitor numbers came from Japan, with 66,900 tourists in January, up 5,657.3% YoY, partly due to an increase in flights and visa-free entrance policies for Japanese travelers.